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And if you don't see this country falling apart, you're head's in the sand my dear.
But of course, to a liberal, our country (as we know it) "falling apart" is probably a GOOD thing.
It has to fall apart before they can rebuild it in THEIR vision.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged below the key psychological 12,000 level for the first time since March on Friday as fears spread that the global economic recovery is losing steam.

Meanwhile, a top Federal Reserve official warned that the pace of growth will remain "painfully slow" for many and the risks to recovery have increased. (WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM GIVEN OBAMA'S ANTI-BUSINESS ANTI-CAPITALIST POLICIES!)

Although financial conditions have improved and the pace of job creation has quickened in the last year, a recent run of disappointing data suggested the recovery is increasingly at risk, New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley said in a speech to business leaders in Brooklyn, N.Y. (MUST BE THOSE PESKY "HEADWINDS!)

High food and energy prices and a weak housing market were among the main factors likely to keep consumer budgets tight, he said.

"I anticipate economic growth will pick up enough in the second half of 2011 to sustain a moderate economic recovery," Dudley said. (MAKES ME FEEL REAL SECURE) "Still, the pace of recovery will probably be painfully slow (AS IN PAIN TO YOUR WALLET!) for the many unemployed and underemployed workers."

While non-food and non-energy price rises remain modest, he said it is crucial for the Fed to ensure inflation expectations remain in check.

Fears that the economic recovery has stalled weighed on markets Friday and drove the stock market lower for its sixth straight week.

The Dow fell 172 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 11,952.

The S&P 500 index fell 18, or 1.4 percent, to 1,271. The Nasdaq dropped 41, or 1.5 percent, to 2,644. The Nasdaq has now given up all its gains for the year. The Dow is still up 3.2 percent for 2011 and the S&P 1.1 percent.

The losses were broad, with declines across all 10 of the S&P 500's industry groups.

Four stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was 3.9 billion shares.

Friday's plunge was the stock market's sixth straight weekly loss, the longest weekly losing streak since the fall of 2002. The market's last seven-week stretch of losses began in May 2001, as the dot-com bubble deflated.

Stocks have suffered this month after weak economic news dampened hopes for a speedy recovery. Traders fear that weaker hiring, industrial output, and a moribund housing market are reversing a bull market that has lifted the Dow 20 percent over the past year.

Analysts said the pullback reflects traders' insecurity about the pace of the recovery.

"Recent economic reports have been very weak and people are worried about the idea of a double-dip recession," said Janna Sampson, co-chief investment officer of OakBrook Investments LLC in Lisle, Illinois. (BUT MR SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG)

"I am still expecting to see second-half growth, and the market pick back up as we see that," Sampson told Reuters. "But are we going to see it before we get earnings reports for the second quarter? I doubt it. June is probably going to be pretty weak."

Financial markets widely expect the U.S. central bank to hold benchmark interest rates near zero until 2012 to help boost an economy still struggling with a high jobless rate.

Earlier this week, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said accommodative policies are still needed. "Until we see a sustained period of stronger job creation, (WHICH OBAMA IS BLOCKING WITH HIS POLICIES) we cannot consider the recovery to be truly established," he said during a speech in Atlanta.

The annualized pace of U.S. growth slowed to 1.8 percent in the first three months of 2011, down from 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. Dudley said growth it is likely to remain sluggish in the April-to-June period.

FISCAL CONSOLIDATION

Dudley added that any attempt by Congress to tighten fiscal policy through spending cuts or tax increases ( EXCUSE ME BUT OBAMA WANTS TO RAISE TAXES AND THE REPUBLICANS WANT TO CUT SPENDING "DUDLEY!) would add to the short-term growth risks for the economy.

"I would emphasize, however, that a credible plan for long-term fiscal consolidation is sorely required and would have economic benefits," he said. (SO WHAT THE "H" DOES THAT MEAN? ALL I HEAR FROM THE LEFT IS WE GOT TO KEEP PRINTING MONEY AND INCREASE SPENDING! IS THAT THEIR "FISCAL CONSOLIDATION?)

Congress and the White House are at odds over how to shrink a gaping U.S. budget deficit and a rising public debt burden. (YES, THE "ODDS" ARE THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS WANTS TO CUT THE BUDGET AND CUT SPENDING AND THE LIBS WANT TO PRINT MORE MONEY AND SPEND IT!) Several ratings agencies have warned that the country needs to address its public finances lest it risk losing its cherished AAA credit rating.
(WELL ISN'T THAT JUST GREAT MR!)

Anybody been listening to Herman Cain? Impeccable creds and, yeah, he's black, really black. I haven't heard anyone with his common sense approach to economic recovery using the capitalistic approach. Government does not create income - private industry does create income. So go recover it.

AS- I wish I had the time to answer you but my answer would be so LONG that I just don't have the time right now. But if you haven't noticed Obama's anti business policies / attitude, then you haven't been paying attention.
Unfortunately for America, businesses ARE paying attention which is why our economy is stuck right now.

mama- I love Herman Cain. Been a fan of his for quite awhile now. I'm just waiting for him to gain some name recognition and popularity..................and then wait and see what the media will do to him.
Having conservative women around (Palin & Bachman) is a big enough nightmare for liberals, but a conservative BLACK man?
-Oh, he's got to go, cuz we absolutely can't have THAT.

Obama supports unions and every union related issue even within states like Wisconsin where as a federal leader, should not be. Even though only 11.8 % of the nation's workers are unionized, his friendly and supportive attitude for unions sends a message to businesses that they don't have his ear.

Then we have the Affordable Health Care Act which he supported and signed, sent the message that he gave priority to worker's and union's issues rather than compromising with some of the business's issues, like making the employer the workhorse for the administrative work and some costs involved in carrying out the act. The GOP was trying to state the issues businesses had, but their suggestions fell on deaf ears.

Then we have the stimulus acts, which not only raised the deficit and debt, but was a gift horse awarded to liberal friendly districts and businesses like minority businesses,

Coupled with the record debt and deficit gives an uncertainty for the future and not only affects the Main Street businesses, but now the Stock Market which is reacting negatively.

In addition, many businesses complain about the uncertainties of the costs involved with the Health Care Act. Payrolls and the benefits are the biggest investment in any business, so it is a huge factor in planning and trying to create a viable business plan to get investors and or bank loans.

Unless the administration and congress, especially the senate, gets a handle on the spending, the economy will stay negative. It will also be the knockout punch for Democratic candidates and will probably provide a shoo in for the GOP in 2012.

Re Herman Cain...Consider his flipflop on the TARPS and his inability to explain it beyond a contention that an entire article he wrote in 2008 supporting the bailouts was taken out of context and that they (the bailouts) were used in ways he didn't anticipate. There's your Great not-White Hope.

Plus, he said the other day that if elected he will not sign any bill longer than three pages. Seems a bit arbitrary to me, not to mention overly simplistic.

I like what the guy has to say which is a conservative view. Not only that, he has a great TV presence and has oratory skills, which was Obama's only strong point. The difference is Herman C. is not making promises like the Sorcerer's Apprentice that Obama was and still is. He talks, but never walks the walk. Somehow for Obama, he thinks saying something will make it happen like God saying "Let there be light and there was light."

Notice I am not mentioning any racist remarks which we don't need and it misses any debating points.

Heron, unions are a non-issue. Unions have nowhere near the power they once had since most manufacturing has been outsourced. So Obama's support of them could hardly be anti-business.

The Affordable Health Care act will mandate in 2014 that everyone not currently insured will need to buy a health care plan in the private market. I hardly see 20+ million people having to spend money on insurance in the private market as anti-capitalistic...well, I actually do, since being forced to buy in the private market by the government is hardly my idea of a free-market.

I'd like to see some sources as to where that Stimulus money went.

Debt goes back to pre-Obama administrations, as far back as Reagan. So again, a non-issue in regards to Obama being anti-Capitalistic or anti-business.

As for spending. The only way to now control spending is to end social programs like Social Security and Medicare and military efforts. The revenue of the current demographics simply will not support them. It's easy to use spending as an emotional and ideological tool, but the facts do not support the rhetoric. The only logical solution would be to return to post-WWII tax rates, which will never happen in this current political climate.

The simple fact is that the economy will not improve until the rich decide the want to be richer. Right now, the rich can continue to get richer without having to invest in growing industries. It has nothing to do with Obama, liberals, republicans or Sarah Palin.

Most of what we are hearing about the anti-business climate is so much crapola. Executives are sitting on $2,000,000,000,000 (two trillion dollars) of capital, in part because there is no demand for what they offer. There is no demand because the middle class is strapped and scared. One reason for that is that business has invested a lot of American wealth in foreign countries where labor is cheap and enriched themselves but not benefited the USA, except for the investor class.

Wealthy businessmen don't seem much interested in repaying the "exceptional" country that has nurtured their start-ups, provided educated workers, and made their wealth secure. As long as successful businessmen feel no loyalty to their country and their countrymen, and as long as they can buy politicians to keep their taxes down, and as long as ordinary workers lack the information and vision to see why they are jobless or low-paid, the American dream will continue to fade.

Unions have political power is states that have the collective bargaining rights guaranteed by legislative action. But in the right to work states, workers can unionize, but do not have collective bargaining rights guaranteed by the legislature.

We saw this battle in the media in Wisconsin withe the collective bargaining rights for state employees being the issue. Two points are that Obama stepped in to the melee by statements made to the media being critical of Walker's proposals. The other is the NLRB suing Boeing over their opening a plant in SC, a right to work state. This has Obama's influence written all over it.

As for the health care act, it mandates that employers not only taking more responsibility in providing insurance, but also enduring more administrative work. Employers are not compensated for that federal administrative work and have to hire more clerks to manage the accounts. of course the businesses will have to charge more for their products, but they are the ones facing customers giving them flak over higher prices.

Like you, I would like to see more transparency on where those dollars went. Obama promised transparency when he campaigned.

I don't see SS and medicare being a budget issue for cuts. Both are the largest part of the federal budget, but they are also the greatest revenue generator and are funded by payroll taxes, not income tax. Each is a dedicated fund and cannot be spent on anything but SS and Medicare. Of course congress borrows from it and leaves a promissory note which has to be paid back.

But the biggest cuts could come in stopping any more stimulus acts. TARP, under Bush, might have saved some banks and GM and Chrysler, but those were loans to be paid back and not a true spending bill. The stimulus bills were spending bills and added even more to the deficit and debt. However. the GOP has some proposals which the senate needs to evaluate and not say no. Reid stops some of the house bills and won't even let them reach the senate for debate.

I know the liberals always blame the rich for financial issues and I am not one of the rich. But focusing only on the rich distracts debate on other issues that should be discussed. The economy is more complicated than just the taxes the rich pay.

Businesses are sitting on capital until the economy improves and there is market for products and services. Businesses can't hire a bunch of workers to sit around in an industrial plant playing cards. Besides, consumers are also sitting on their dollars, afraid to spend for fear of losing their jobs. Point is, the low economy has everyone cautious.

As for foreign investments, some labor intensive jobs like in textiles have gone overseas. Because of our global economy, those US textile plants that used to provide products with US workers, some in the Greenville-Spartanburg area of SC, had to close because they couldn't compete paying US wages.

And the consumer is enjoying the low prices because of those imports. Lots of clothing being advertised and bought everyday. Lots of furniture being bought made overseas. If there were a tariff and closed those foreign markets, some businesses might reopen with US employees, but the products would skyrocket and people would be complaining.

But not all jobs have been sent overseas. Industrial plants have mechanized and computerized the processes and US jobs are there, but require training and are paid more for the increased skill level. The auto manufacturers are one example.

This is still the land of opportunity, but those opportunities change as the markets change. Workers must adjust by retraining and higher skill levels to compete in the global labor market

Most of the industrial jobs have gone to robots(ie like you say mechanized) rather than overseas. Also the auto industry is waiting for about 5 years for their present retirees to die off and the expensive health care and retirement payments to go away. More and more robots will take over the semi skilled jobs that used to be done by humans in other plants. For example lumber mills used to have lots of humans in all facets of the plant now one saw shows how the log is to be cut to the sawyer, he approves it, and the saw cuts it to the specs that the computer had designed for that log. These saws are very expensive but much cheaper than human labor. As to current economic conditions I still say the banks are not lending contrary to they public advertising. They now use underwriters as their excuse they approve the loan, but then the underwriter does not accept it so it never gets funded.

Sorry for this one to be so wordy, right now I feel like MF only smarter.

Agree with much of your post. My son is a computer engineer that has been in the industrial field since the late '70s . Lots of smaller parts being done by computer run machines. But few industrial plants are run entirely by computers. The machines are doing the busy work and employees are there to monitor and assist the machines. And a lot of work is done by employees doing the design work and programing and repairing or servicing those machines.

As for the banks, they are lending to only those with the best credit ratings for home mortgages. Hasn't made a difference on car loans though because they usually feel safe with the equity and used cars sell well.

21,000,000 jobs went out of the USofA in 2008. It's true that the trend is more or less flat, but if most of America's industrialized jobs are going to robots, that's a separate issue from outsourcing and the losses that go with it.

"The death-knell of the republic had rung as soon as the active power became lodged in the hands of those who sought, not to do justice to all citizens, rich and poor alike, but to stand for one special class and for its interests as opposed to the interests of others."
Theodore Roosevelt - Labor Day speech at Syracuse, NY (Sept 1903)

Obama is driven by Marxism and "social justice." Every decision he makes will kill jobs. Add a government job? Sounds great until you understand that for every $1.00 Gov spends, $1.25 must be taken from your pocket. Not a recipe for success. Obama and his eggheads are a massive failure.
Top Job killing Government regulations; 1Ozone Standards, 2 Industrial and Commercial Boiler Emissions, 3 Export Controls, 4 Trading In Financial Derivatives, and 5 Livestock Marketing.

The Obama administration wants us to believe that they will really focus on jobs and the economy. The announcements and “pro-business” staff members are just window dressing. While no one is looking, they’re continuing the job-killing policies. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard “faces immediate and significant threats due to oil and gas activities and herbicide treatments.” As a result, they propose it be listed as “endangered”—under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)—which starts the clock for a 60-day public comment period. Hoping no one would notice, the proposal was announced during the throes of the holiday season.

Ranchers, farmers and oil and gas producers who will be impacted by the potential listing have been working with the FWS on a brand new program called a Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA). Some had already signed a contract agreeing to conservation measures above and beyond what is currently required—and more were about to. The CCA was seen as an effective way to avoid more government regulations by voluntarily preserving the species. In addition to protecting the lizard, they committed to reclaiming abandoned oil wells and paying additional fees that would go into special funds for habitat restoration. The CCA was thought to be a pilot project for industry/agency cooperation. But that cooperation went out the window with the surprise land-grab-action on December 14. The lizard and man’s land use could have co-existed. But, this is not about the critter. It is about control—as most endangered species issues are.
The Dunes Sagebrush Lizard lives in the Permian Basin’s prime ranching/farming and oil/gas country—encompassing Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. Both private landowners and industries are “threatened” as working the land might “take” a lizard. Instead they take jobs. If listed, ranching, farming, and drilling will be severely restricted in the region. Funds will not be available for protection or restoration. A line will be drawn in the sand and the lizard will be left as he is.
If the lizard receives the ESA listing, oil and gas development will be virtually stopped for those that have not yet signed the CCA and no new exploration will be allowed—which means even higher prices at the pump. As we’ve seen with the closing of the Alaska pipeline, the less supply we have, the higher the price. If the economy’s really important, wouldn’t Washington want to keep prices low for the consumer and to help recovery? An ESA listing will also block potential wind farms and solar installations. The news release states that “Habitat loss and fragmentation” is due to the “creation of roads and pads, pipelines and transmission lines.” Transmission lines are needed to get the renewable energy from “out there” where the land is to “in here” where the people are.

The endangered species we should all be concerned about is “the job.” The economy of this entire portion of the country is dependent on ranching/farming and the extractive industries. Take them away and you take jobs away. The region will become the victim of policy-induced poverty.
The proposed listing of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, and the Lesser Prairie Chicken expected to be proposed next, are premiers for the job-killing regulatory action being taken nationwide. The lizard may be located in small part of the country that few know or care about, but the Lesser Prairie Chicken listing will impact five states: New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado—all important ranching/farming and oil/gas lands. The impact of both will be felt throughout America.
Where will it end? Is their goal to stop all new wealth creation?

YES!

Obama’s has demonized, penalized, hyper-regulated, taxed and is trying to kill hydrocarbons. He has mandated and subsidized wind, solar and ethanol, ignored their environmental and human costs, and extolled the measly, expensive, unreliable energy they produce.
He opposes subsidies for oil and coal companies (even in the form of tax deductions for actual expenses), because they promote drilling – because their CEOs and workers rarely vote for job killing libs. He supports huge subsidies for wind, solar and ethanol, because those guys keep him in power and force a transition to renewable power.
He knows oil, gas and coal generate royalty and tax revenues, and provide 85% of the energy that powers America and supports jobs, commuting, factories, transportation, tourism, hospitals, ambulances, churches and living standards. But he doesn’t care about revenues, except when they come from higher taxes on corporations – or rich families that make over $250,000 … $150,000 … $65,000 a year. Obama detest free enterprise, and wants Government to control more of our energy, economy and lives.
Obama loves the way supply and demand laws drive prices up. DC area gasoline is now $4.25 a gallon. That’s about half of what Energy Secretary Chu and Obama would like it to be, just like in Europe. And we know restricting energy supplies even further will send all prices skyrocketing even higher.
These Obama Marxist & Socialist ideologies are killing jobs and this country! You need any more?

Wow. I came here to answer AS after my busy Sunday but it looks as though it's already been done. I could ad a bit, but why bother (unless I have to).
-Pretty good job guys.

I will ad that I just read that Obama's EPA is forcing the shutdown of several coal companies due to regulation and new environmental protection BS. Even though one company is shutting down 5 plants (American Electric Power) they say they are still going to spend billions more due to the new policies by the Obama admin.
Should we expect anything less? Obama himself said in an interview in 2007 that his policies would make it so expensive for coal manufacturers to operate, that it would put them in bankruptcy.
I wonder what his left-wing policies are going to do to our energy costs? Hmmmm...................

Oh wait..in that same interview, Obama admitted that his policies would cause our energy prices to, and I quote< "SKYROCKET".
-And Obama thinks that's a GOOD thing for our economy? WOW - Only in a liberlas mind.

My last bit of input here is to offer that many of these so-called job killers stem from The Clean Air Act, last revised by the EPA in 1990.

I'd have to say that not one person has factually proven MovingForwards statement of Omama's anti-business/anti-Capitalist policies. But you can keep cutting, pasting and name-calling if it makes you feel better.

If you don't see the anti business side of Obama and his policies AS, including the MANY people / czars that he's put in his administration who are just as anti business as he is, then there isn't anything anyone here could say that would change your mind.
-So I figure, why bother spelling it out for you - especially when you just said that was your last post.

Did anyone see the President along with his buddy Jeff Immelt laughing at the Jobs Council meeting when discussing the impact government has on keeping employers from starting a project, and that all these "shovel ready" jobs that we kept hearing about, never really got going?
-How out of touch can this guy be.

Why not just be truthful about it Mr. President? The stimulus package was never really meant to create jobs - even the "shovel ready" jobs that you said were just waiting for funding all over the country. That was all BS.
The stimulus was meant to keep government employees on the payroll and to help union employment - period.

This guy can't even keep a straight face when lying anymore. Now he and his pals are laughing about his failed stimulus package.
-I'm sure the millions of people that are out of work aren't laughing with you Mr. President.

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